With a career spanning roughly five decades, it’s no secret that Sir Elton John has quite the repertoire. With the help of songwriting partner and renowned lyricist Bernie Taupin, his time in the spotlight has spawned a massive discography, one which we’ll be looking at today. Here are the top 20 Elton John songs, ranked.
20. "Take Me to the Pilot"
While Taupin said himself that he didn’t know what the lyrics signified, the nonexistence of the lyrics’ meaning doesn’t take away from the spunky, bold energy that the song creates.
19. "Border Song"
Fun fact: this was the only song that both Taupin and John wrote the lyrics for, with the first half being about feeling out of place in a new location and the second half being a call for the world to live in peace.
18. "Philadelphia Freedom"
“Philadelphia Freedom” serves two purposes. Both as a tribute to John’s longtime friend Billie Jean King and as a tribute to the sounds of Philadelphia’s music scene. Despite the dual meaning, both come together for an energetic rock song filled with an American spirit from the British songwriting duo.
17. "Crocodile Rock"
This song can be described in one word: fun. It tells the story of a young relationship that inevitably ended without making it too sad, instead opting to reminisce on the relationship and the music of the times.
16. "Don’t Go Breaking My Heart (ft. Kiki Dee)"
Initially meant as a fun return to a Motown style, “Don’t Go Breaking my Heart” quickly found a niche in pop culture for both John and Dee, earning itself a run as the #1 song in the UK for six weeks in 1976.
15. "Skyline Pigeon"
Poetic lyrics take center stage in this subdued track from John’s 1969 album “Empty Sky”, describing a place that the narrator longs to return to, wanting to fly back to like the titular pigeon.
14. "Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding"
“Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding” is a medley of two songs. However, they are together extremely complex in terms of instrumentals. The first half is marked by almost eerie sounds of synth and piano before crescendoing and transitioning into an angry breakup song, making it an absolute must-listen.
13. "I’m Still Standing"
“I’m Still Standing” serves as a funky, bright anthem for anyone who’s gone through something and come out standing on the other side, be it a bad friendship, bad relationship, or just any sort of tough time.
12. "Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting"
Marked by brash overdriven guitars and a pounding bassline, “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting” is an absolute banger full of youthful rebellion and distaste for authority.
11. "Bennie and the Jets"
Written with the sci-fi influences of the time in mind, “Bennie and the Jets” serves as a description of the time’s glam rock, talking about the titular girl band and their fans and groupies following them.
10. "The Bitch is Back"
The only way this song can be described as a middle finger set to music. Loud, stinging, and brash, it captures John’s flamboyant energy perfectly.
9. "Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me"
Love hurts, and sometimes when you find yourself falling for someone again, you push them away. However, love is a beautiful, healing thing as well, as described beautifully in this song famously duetted by George Michael.
8. "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters"
The world is a tough, dirty place. But you know what isn’t? Friends. In the song, he “thanks the lord for the people I have found”, highlighting how glad he is to have his friends and loved ones by his side in an otherwise unforgiving place.
7. "Candle in the Wind"
Initially, “Candle in the Wind” was written for Marilyn Monroe upon her death. However, the song quickly became tied to Princess Diana as well, being played at her funeral and John refusing to play the song live since.
6. "Someone Saved my Life Tonight"
While the end of a toxic relationship may hurt at first, there is a catharsis to be found in leaving and healing. This song captures it, detailing the end of a relationship with a woman that John was due to marry, one that he was so unhappy with that he contemplated suicide in order to avoid it until a friend “saved his life”.
5. "Tiny Dancer"
Written after John and Taupin first left England for the United States, it was meant to capture the spirit of California, where they found that the women there were very different from the women in England. As a result, “Tiny Dancer” was written, and has had staying power ever since.
4. "Your Song"
The wide-eyed feeling of first love is encapsulated in “Your Song”. After all, Taupin and John wrote it when they were 17 and 20 respectively. The naïevete in the lyrics along with piano arrangements creates a song that is simple, but quite effective at conveying its message.
3. "Rocket Man"
“Rocket Man” acts as a snapshot of the times. Space travel was still young, and sci-fi was becoming more and more mainstream. As a result, the song was penned with astronauts and the loneliness that they feel in being separated from their families back on earth in mind, creating a song that is both a sign of the times and timeless.
2. "Levon"
Following Levon and his son Jesus, “Levon” tells the story of a wealthy man who finds happiness in his money, all the while his son grows bored with the monotony of life and longs for adventure, all over tinkling piano notes that crescendo into a loud, belted chorus.
1. "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road"
Disillusionment finds a home in “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”, set alongside lyrics explaining a desire to return home and a distaste for the people he’s come into contact with along with belted vocals and expressive instrumentals. The song comes from the heart for both Taupin and John, and it really shows.
